Shootaround Access | Wolves vs. Bulls – Timberwolves.com

Playing to the competition can be a good thing, like the Timberwolves against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

It can also be a bad thing, like the Timberwolves against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The Wolves will try to balance that out on Saturday night against a beat-up Chicago Bulls squad.

“We show ourselves that we can compete against the best in this league, but then if we don’t take care of business when it’s time, it doesn’t matter,” Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio said after Saturday’s shootaround. “… Sometimes the pressure is on us that we have to win that game and we play different.”

At this point in the season, every team is a bit beat up. But the Bulls’ injury report is longer than most. Jimmy Butler (knee), Nikola Mirotic (appendix) and Joakim Noah (shoulder) are expected to be out. Pau Gasol (hand) and Mike Dunleavy (back) are questionable, though neither played in last night’s loss to the Nuggets.

The Wolves know that they aren’t good enough to relax because a few players are out. As interim head coach Sam Mitchell has said before, players are in the NBA for a reason.

“We don’t know if those guys are going to go, but in walk-through we went through like those guys are going to play, so if they don’t we’ll be ready with or without those guys,” Wolves wing Shabazz Muhammad said.

How To Tune In

Because of Hockey Day Minnesota aired on Fox Sports North, tonight’s Timberwolves game will not be aired locally on television.